RTVS Book2 Dark Love
by Felix Webster
Summary: Continuation of the Ranma the Vampire Slayer series. New characters from both series show up in Sunnydale.


A Ranma ½ Alternate Histories Company Presents:  
  
Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Ranma The Vampire Slayer  
  
Book 2  
  
Dark Love  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 1  
  
New Faces  
  
- - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first  
published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by  
Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy  
the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what  
ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth  
Century Fox, Paramount or any others that pick it up as it goes  
along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off  
them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please  
don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. .  
*Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other  
people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - -  
  
Previously on Ranma The Vampire Slayer  
  
"I told you bitch that I didn't like you messing in my business,"  
Angelus spat into the red head's face as he held up the badly beaten  
Ranma-chan, "You aren't stopping this!"  
  
"Hold on mate, she's in no condition to stop anything," Spike said  
with a smirk from his wheel chair. "That last demon saw to that."  
  
"If I wanted your opinion I'd wheel you to a microphone," Angelus  
snarled taking his eyes off the girl for a moment but before Ranma-  
chan could do anything to get out of his grip he looked back to her  
as the mouth of the statue behind him started to move. "Neither you  
or the bimbo can stop this now!"  
  
"I doubt that," a familiar voice said from behind him causing all to  
look at the blonde holding a weapon. "Let her go."  
  
"Not happenin. . . OW!" Angelus grabbed his arm that was just  
holding the red head as it was suddenly in searing pain and not  
wanting to work properly anymore.  
  
  
Ranma-chan dropped and rolled away from the evil Vampire after  
hitting a nerve that she hoped was still active in the walking dead  
man's body.  
  
"Didn't anyone ever tell you never take your eyes off what you  
hunt," Spike laughed as Ranma-chan slowly stood up.   
  
"Shut up gimpy!" Angelus snarled again but barely had time to  
realize that Spike was standing before being hit by the other Vampire.  
  
A fight began in real as both Buffy and Spike started to pound on  
the tall dark haired Vampire all the while the mouth opened wider and  
wider and a vortex started to form. After a minute Ranma-chan joined  
in but she hadn't completely recovered and was hit by a brutal blow  
to her head sending her into a wall where she crumbled to the floor.  
  
"B. .Buffy? What. . ?" was all the newly awakened Angel got out  
before receiving a solid kick sending him through the vortex. The  
vortex closed with a violent burst of chaotic light before collapsing  
completely.  
  
Not taking time to grieve over Willow's success Buffy rushed to the  
motionless body of her friend. After checking for a pulse she looked  
up in tears at the blonde Vampire.   
  
Spike knew he would kick himself later for this but the girl, Ranma,  
had tried to give him a decent break every time they tangled and he  
owed the girl. Pushing Buffy out of the way he brought strong breath  
into his rarely used lungs and started to do the most basic CPR, he  
really didn't know the procedure too well. Ranma-chan seemed to start  
responding by the feel of her life essence but something was holding  
her from coming back to them. Spike's gaze darkened as the only thing  
he could think of was something he didn't want to do, it took only  
another moment of feeling the red-head's life slip again to make up  
his mind.  
  
"Blood is life, life needs blood," he mumbled in angry tones to  
himself as he created a small cut in the palm of his left hand,  
before Buffy realized he had changed his actions he put the cut over  
the Japanese girl's mouth and waited for the small sucking to start.  
"Come on girl I know you want to live, I'm bleedin' here so start  
livin'!"  
  
After a few more moments Ranma-chan's body started to buck causing  
Spike to jump back as blood bubbled back up out of her mouth and her  
eyes opened. Before Spike could smile Buffy had him by the collar,  
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?!"  
  
"Bleeding hell girl, nothing like that. . . the last thing I want is  
a Vampiric Slayer, probably kill everyone just out of spite!" Spike  
pulled himself away from Buffy and tried to straighten his jacket. "I  
just used blood to pull her back, and it seems to have worked."  
  
- - - -  
  
Spike was driving out of Sunnydale like a bat out of proverbial hell  
in a car covered with foil on all windows, he was trying to keep his  
eyes on the road instead of looking at the unconscious Drusilla  
laying next to him. He wanted to stay in the Hellmouth as the very  
best of the nasties would be constantly drawn to the place but he had  
given his word in exchange for another's word. Honour be damned as  
far as he was concerned, but for once he wanted to keep his word, so  
he was leaving with all speed he could.  
  
- - - -  
  
Buffy stood on the side of the Highway leading from town not knowing  
what to do now that everything was falling apart. She couldn't go  
home, she wasn't welcome at the school, and she had lost the one  
person she thought she truly loved.  
  
Standing there she did what she thought she had to do to keep her  
sanity, she stuck out her thumb.  
  
"Are you positive that is what's needed?" a scratchy voice asked  
from behind Buffy causing her to jump and spin with a kick to attack  
whatever demon crept up on her.  
  
The kick was easily blocked with the staff Cologne always carried  
and the old ghoul gave the girl what she must have thought was a  
smirk, "Way too young to catch me with a move like that. I have given  
lessons to Ranma in the Art and you are not even close to his skill.  
. . but you could be. Focussing on the Art might even help you not  
think of the pain and loss."  
  
Buffy raised an eyebrow at the very old woman then shrugged, Cologne  
made a motion for her to follow and the pair headed off away from the  
road.  
  
[A Time Later]  
  
Life had been mostly quiet after the Angelus encounter, a few minor  
situations but nothing neither Ranma or Buffy couldn't handle with  
ease. Buffy saw little of the outside world except for slaying and it  
suited her fine at the moment as she found Cologne was part right  
about the Art helping with the pain, to focus it and to use it  
against those who deserved to feel it.  
  
Ranma and Willow became closer over the summer. They spent hours  
together trying figure out how the curse had really changed, and to  
be sure whatever Spike had done to bring Ranma back didn't have any  
after effects. Ryoga and Cordelia spent as much time as they could  
when he showed up in Sunnydale and they seemed to break though some  
of Ryoga's natural reactions to girls, so he didn't faint anymore  
from bleeding noses when Cordelia hugged him.  
  
When the summer started to wind down Cologne did her best to bring  
Buffy and her mother back together, and the three of them gave  
Principal Snyder a good talking to about Buffy returning to the  
school. Snyder gave a good fight but relented against his better  
judgement  
  
Miyabi Gozumi came back to resumed her class responsibilities and  
for other reasons, of which we will get to as the story moves along.  
. . as for now the story starts a week into the new school year.  
  
- A Day and a Night in the life of a Slayer -  
  
"Hey," Ranma called out to a boy about his own age wearing a  
Hawaiian shirt that didn't seem loud on him. Willow put her arm  
around Ranma's waist and smiled at the boy who turned and started  
walking towards them, the others looked confused.  
  
"Hey Ranma," the boy replied with a small smile and nodded to  
Willow. "Willow."  
  
"Hi Oz," Willow greeted still smiling.  
  
"Guys this Oz, Oz this is the guys," Ranma introduced the new boy to  
Buffy and Xander.  
"One of them isn't a guy Ranma," Oz replied straight faced although  
he was obviously joking.  
  
"That would be Buffy," Xander nodded his head to the side that Buffy  
was standing. "I'm Xand. . ."  
  
"Xander Harris and Buffy Summers, I know. . . Ranma and Willow have  
talked about both you," Oz smiled and shrugged when the pair looked  
at the couple.  
  
"I met Oz when we had that career day, both of us were talked to by  
that computer company," Willow explained.  
  
"Me and Oz have a couple of classes together," Ranma added, "but we  
met during the summer."  
  
"Band being one of them. Ranma's getting pretty good on guitar," Oz  
said as he gave Ranma a light slap on the back as Ranma tried not to  
look embarrassed.  
  
"Yeah, he's got really good rhythm," Oz continued. "Any time you  
want to give a real try my band could always use another set of  
strings. . . I don't mind sharing the spot."  
  
"Ah. . . I don't think so, you said most of the time your band plays  
at night. . . and I kinda get busy at night," Ranma smiled nervously  
at Oz who simply shrugged again.   
  
"Offer's always open. Look I've got to talk to a couple of teachers  
before class so I'll see to you later," Oz replied then gave a small  
wave as he started to walk off.  
  
"We should be in the library during lunch," Willow called out before  
he got too far and received another small nod from Oz who looked back  
for a moment.  
  
"Wil? Do you think it wise for him to be coming into the library  
while we're discussing 'stuff'?" Xander asked after Oz was out of ear  
shot, he turned a little to make sure no one else was overtly  
listening in as well.  
  
"Don't worry Xander, Oz is cool," Ranma replied smiling. "He's got a  
very strong aura for a guy who doesn't fight."  
  
"And that is supposed to make me feel more better about this?"  
Xander asked rolling his eyes as the others started into the school.  
  
- - - -   
  
Willow tugged on Ranma's sleeve after entering the school, "So if  
you met him during the summer how'd you meet him? And why didn't you  
tell me?"  
  
"Heard him and his band playing near the new house and just sorta  
started talking to him about his music," Ranma shrugged with a small  
smile. "He kept mentioning you and I was a little concerned about  
having things start again. . ."  
  
Willow gave him a small punch then latched on closer, "I barely know  
him. . . and no one compares to you."  
  
"I know, I know," Ranma laughed as he flexed his right arm showing  
off, "No one could compare. . ."  
  
Willow looked up into Ranma's face confused that he stopped dead in  
his tracks, then she followed his gaze back towards a Japanese girl  
with short blue-black hair.  
  
"Hello Ranma," the girl said neither cold nor friendly as she stood  
in the hallway and looked at the two. "I see you didn't waste time."  
  
"A. Akane? What are you doing here?" Ranma sputtered in disbelief.  
Akane Tendo standing in the hallway of Sunnydale High wearing causal  
clothes and holding a small school backpack, instead of a school  
satchel, was the last thing he ever expected.  
  
"I'm on the exchange student program just like you are," Akane  
replied as she approached the couple. Reaching them she smiled at  
Willow and held out her hand, "I'm Akane Tendo, Ranma's ex-fiance."  
  
"I know, Ranma has talked about you," Willow said nervously causing  
Akane to narrow her eyes at Ranma. Willow gave Akane a weak smile and  
tried to get Akane's attention off of her boyfriend, "I'm Willow  
Rosenberg. . ."  
  
"Why are you here?" Ranma repeated again this time more firmly.  
  
"I told you why," Akane replied starting to get angry. "What I do  
now is none of your business!"  
  
"Who's your sponsor?" Willow asked quickly to diffuse the fight she  
saw coming. "Every exchange student has to have a sponsor. Ranma's is  
our Librarian, Mr. Giles, so who is yours?"  
  
"Ms. Gozumi," Akane stated not looking at the girl.  
  
"That explains a lot," Ranma rolled his eyes at mention of the name.  
  
"What does she have to do with anything?" Akane challenged still  
getting mad.  
  
"She brought you here to get even for me refusing to obey her  
'almighty orders'," Ranma shook his head slightly as he replied  
sarcastically.  
  
"From what I hear you haven't been honouring your responsibilities,"  
Akane sneered back.  
  
"I have to!" Ranma nearly shouted at the girl causing several people  
to turn and look for a moment before continuing on to where they were  
going. "I just will have nothing to do with a person that would try  
to force me to stay a girl just to kill Vampires."  
  
"Ms Gozumi did some horrible things before Ranma left her," Willow  
added looking worried. "And Cologne agreed with his decision to  
leave."  
  
"Oh, and you trust that old ghoul now!?! After all the problems she  
put you through!" Akane argued still not bothering to look at the red-  
haired girl.  
  
"Cologne has been a real help here unlike certain other people,"  
Ranma defended the old woman even though Akane wasn't completely  
wrong. "Miyabi just wants a mindless killing machine that won't  
question orders. . . I don't want you caught in that kind of  
situation."  
  
"Stop worrying about me, I can take care of myself!" Akane screamed  
at Ranma then spun to walk away. "I've had to since you left me."  
  
- - - -  
  
"I'm telling you that Miyabi is going to get Akane hurt!" Ranma  
complained as he paced the library. He had skipped his second class  
to join Willow and Xander during their study period and to talk to  
Giles about the new problem in his life. . . or was that old problem?  
  
"I doubt Ms Gozumi would endanger a normal girl just to get back at  
you. She is a member of the Watcher's Council after all," Giles  
replied briefly looking up from the text he was translating. "She  
knows better than putting a normal girl against things like Vampires."  
  
"I'm not worried about Akane running into regular Vampires," Ranma  
flopped himself into a nearby chair. "She's more than capable enough  
to deal with them."  
  
"She is?" Xander looked up from his math text. He had met the new  
Japanese exchange student during his first class and she didn't seem  
at all happy.  
  
"She's as strong an ox. . . but she isn't anywhere near my level of  
skill," Ranma explained shaking his head slightly. "After I showed up  
in Nerima she seemed like she really wanted to learn unfortunately  
she's one of those types that want it right now but isn't willing to  
give it enough effort to learn properly."  
  
"I don't get it," Xander looked very confused.  
  
"She always went for the quick route to get what she wanted. She  
can't swim so she was willing to wear a magical swimsuit that allowed  
her to swim instead of being patient with lessons." Ranma tried to  
explain again leaning back and looking at the ceiling. "Before I came  
to Nerima she had been one of the best Martial Artists in the area,  
this was in an area where martial arts was very important. After  
people like Ryoga started to show up following me she barely rated at  
all."  
  
"Ouch, must have made her feel a bit like a second stringer. . ."  
Xander frowned then looked back at his textbook.  
  
"She didn't take it well. . . nor the fact I looked better as a girl  
then she did. . ." Ranma added putting his hands in front of his  
chest and mimed bouncing two breasts a bit. He then stood and walked  
up behind Giles to see what had the man's attention so directed.  
"Chthonian? Wow, Cologne was wrong about that language never really  
ever being useable."  
  
"Chthonian? Damn it all, I was translating it from Alothorian,"  
Giles pinched the top of his nose and closed his eyes in defeat. "It  
explains why all the verbs are wrong."  
  
"Sorry, that language spell gave me some real bizarre ones," Ranma  
smiled apologetically as he moved back from the man to sit down again.  
  
"Cat being the weirdest," Willow smirked as she came down from the  
stacks and sat in Ranma's lap.  
  
"Don't remind me!" Ranma shook slightly. "And the little beasts all  
seem to know I can understand them!"  
  
  
Willow started giggling then stopped when Ranma's face changed to  
sudden realization, "What?"  
  
"Damn it! I should have noticed!" Ranma stated loudly and slapped  
his forehead.  
  
"Noticed what?" Willow asked again now very worried.  
  
"Akane spoke perfect english!" Ranma explained. "She wasn't very  
good with it when I left!"  
  
"Miyabi cast that spell again? After what she knew it did to you?"  
Giles looked up again at the small group.  
  
"She said it was a freak accident that I got so many languages so I  
guess she didn't see it as a risk," Ranma replied not looking happy.  
"I wonder what went wrong during the ritual this time?"  
  
- - - -  
  
"Excuse me?" Akane looked around confused having stopped someone who  
looked like they could help her.  
  
"I don't think excuses are enough for that outfit," Cordelia Chase  
replied sneering at the foreign girl. . . who looked way too familiar  
for some reason.  
  
"What's wrong with my outfit!?!" Akane demanded loudly with her  
hands in fists. She couldn't see anything wrong with wearing a  
yellow sundress as Sunnydale was a hot place and the school didn't  
have a school uniform.  
  
"Cordelia stepped back with her eyes as wide as they could go,  
"Whoa! I was just saying that it was just so last decade. . ."  
  
"I haven't had a chance to shop here, okay!?" Akane stated still  
looking angry not liking the fact she wasn't even close to  
fashionable. It may have never seemed to be much on her mind when she  
was in Nerima but she always had the latest styles in her closet,  
even if they were knock offs sewn by Kasumi.  
  
"Oh my god! Ohmygodohmygod!" Cordelia exclaimed as it finally hit  
her why the girl looked so familiar, she was another of the people  
from the tapes her cousin set her, "Oh my god, you're Akane Tendo!"  
  
"Um, yes I am. . . have we met?" Akane asked blinking in  
bewilderment that the girl could know her name just like that.  
  
"No, no we haven't met, but I've admired that acting you did on  
those tapes. . . although Ryoga and Ranma sorta proved that they  
weren't acting and special effects," Cordelia replied still talking  
in rapid speech.  
  
"You know Ryoga?" Akane looked surprised.  
  
"Well yeah, we're dating after all," Cordelia said as if the whole  
world knew that bit of information.  
  
"Dating!?!" Akane looked even more surprised. "He never mentioned  
that the last time I saw him. . . although it was about two and a  
half months ago."  
  
"Come on, we should talk," Cordelia said with a smile as she grabbed  
the Japanese girl and tried to lead her towards a quiet place.  
  
"I. I guess. . But I really should get to class. . I only wanted to  
know where the band class was," Akane allowed herself to be dragged  
by the odd girl she just met. "I was told that if you wanted to learn  
to sing you had to take band and I need it for my theatre class. . ."  
  
- - - -  
  
"No, not like that Ranma. . . you've got to spread your fingers more  
to get a better feel," Oz corrected as he moved Ranma's hand into  
proper position on the guitar neck.  
  
"Geez, why'd I let you talk me into taking this class?" Ranma rolled  
his eyes again as he tried the cord again.  
  
"Don't be so down on it, you're doing incredibly for a beginner," Oz  
leaned back against the nearby wall of the classroom and crossed his  
arms giving Ranma a stoic smile. "It took me almost a week to learn  
this cord and you've almost got it in less then an hour. . .  
definitely got talent there."  
  
"Nah, I just learn things quickly. . . and a good teacher," Ranma  
smiled as he readjusted his fingers again and flexed them into a  
variant before going back to the original position then nodded at the  
ease of position changes. "It's kinda like learning a new kata, you  
do it right and it makes music."  
  
"Don't really know much about martial arts, not much use for it," Oz  
replied as he moved to the other chair and picked up his guitar and  
started playing a few cords. "But I get the idea you're trying to  
make."  
  
"You okay about the other day?" Ranma asked as he set his guitar  
down and remembered Oz's first taste of Vampire kind.  
  
"What about the other. . . oh I guess Willow told you about the  
incident," Oz looked up confused for a moment. "It was a little  
weird, but it explains a lot."  
  
"Yeah well it was even weirder then that. . . those ones were  
obviously trained to fight," Ranma replied narrowing his eyes then  
just shrugged and smiled. "Oh well, that's just going to make things  
more fun."  
  
"You related to that cute red-head that was with Willow who did all  
those crazy moves?" Oz asked quirking an eyebrow, both Ranma and the  
girl looked simular but that might just be his inexperience with  
Asians.  
  
Ranma looked away for a moment before replying, "She's sorta my  
sister. . . in a way. Her name's Ranko and she does that kinda thing  
every night."  
  
"Don't you worry about her fighting those things?" Oz looked  
worried, even though she was an incredible fighter he couldn't figure  
how any brother would allow his sister to do that without helping.  
"Don't have much choice. . . she's what's called a 'Slayer', it her  
job to hunt and kill Vampires. She's been given incredible abilities  
to do this. . . except her Martial training makes those abilities  
kinda moot," Ranma sighed as he explained, all the time expecting Oz  
to make a comment about his sanity. "I can't be there for her the way  
I'd like to be, but I am always there."  
  
"That's cool. . . I guess," Oz nodded as he thought about it, he  
wasn't going to question the 'Slayer' thing, after all he did see and  
kill a Vampire just two nights prior. "I don't remember seeing her in  
school here though. . ."  
  
"I do school and she does 'saving of the world'. . it's kinda a deal  
between us," Ranma smirked slightly. "She got the better part of the  
deal."  
  
"It must be tough with that kind of responsibility," Oz said leaning  
back into the chair and closing his eyes for a moment as his fingers  
started to change cord positions quickly.  
  
"Nah, the only real problem is that both me and Ranko believe  
killing is wrong," Ranma replied shaking his head slightly. "Kinda  
puts a kink into the whole 'Slayer' thing, most of the time trying to  
convince a Vampire or Demon to not kill things is just pointless. . .  
but there are rare times when it's not."  
  
"Sticking by morals is a good thing. . . but saving people is also a  
good thing. . . I guess it's a tough decision either way," Oz  
shrugged again then noticed Mr. Hamilton heading for them. "Hey Mr.  
H."  
  
"Oz," Mr. Hamilton replied as he reached the pair. "So, how is Ranma  
doing?"  
  
"He's got a good touch on the strings and a steady sound, he should  
be playing professionally before graduation," Oz said smirking as he  
was causing Ranma a lot of embarrassment. "He probably should try  
some of the other instruments to see if he's good on them too."  
  
"And his music reading?" Mr. Hamilton tried not to smile about the  
boy's progress.  
  
"I already knew how to read music, several different styles of  
musical writing actually," Ranma replied not realizing he was  
bragging. "It's kinda funny how a spoken language was formed from it.  
. . if you can hit the notes."  
  
"A spoken language. . .?" Mr. Hamilton repeated not completely  
believing the boy. It wasn't that he hadn't ever heard of a language  
like that but Ranma sounded like he knew it as fact.  
  
"Sure. . . Just a sec," Ranma shrugged then closed his eyes to help  
centred himself before opening his mouth and producing one of the  
most beautiful and melodic sound anyone in the small class had ever  
heard. It obviously meant something as it had a feeling to it that  
translated but wasn't understood by those listening. After about a  
minute Ranma finally stopped and looked embarrassed again as he  
noticed a lot of students were now standing around him. "It would  
have sounded better if it was a couple octaves higher. . . it was  
designed for women."  
  
"That was incredible," Oz's eyes were wide in disbelief. "That would  
be a great background voice for some songs I've been writing."  
  
"Could you do that again?" Mr. Hamilton asked as he started to look  
for a tape recorder. "I have to have that on tape."  
  
In the back of the room Akane stood in the doorway and blinked as  
the sound washed over her. Shaking her head she cleared herself  
enough to see that it came from Ranma who was far across the room.  
Before he could see her she turned and left to get farther away from  
the man that she was once to marry.  
  
- - - -  
  
"So this is the Batcave?" Oz asked with a small smile as he and  
Ranma walked in to the school Library, "Strange, it looks just like a  
school Library."  
  
"Yeah, it was where the others met before I got here," Ranma  
shrugged as they moved farther into the room. "Personally I would  
have preferred a Dojo or something."  
  
"Yes, well, we do with what we have to," Giles stated as he moved  
out of his little office. "Tea?"  
  
"Of course," Ranma smiled as he sat down at the large table then  
remembered something. "Oh, sorry about that. Giles, I'd like you to  
meet Oz. Oz, this is Giles. . . he's sorta the person who knows what  
it is we fight."  
  
"I have met Oz before," Giles said solemnly as he poured Ranma a cup  
of the tea he offered. "I understand you had an encounter with some  
of our nastier inhabitants of Sunnydale?"  
  
"Yeah, wasn't really expecting Vampires on a Saturday night but hey  
this is California and the crazies seem to migrate here after all,"  
Oz smiled at the pair.  
  
"Hey Oz," Willow greeted as she came into the library and came up to  
Ranma to give him a little kiss.  
  
"Hey," Oz replied then nodded to Xander who followed in behind her  
and then walked over to the center table a plopped down into a well  
used chair.  
  
"Where's Buffy?" Ranma asked noticing that she wasn't right behind  
the other two.  
  
"She had to talk with Mrs. Reynolds about helping that new exchange  
student get accustomed to our idea of an English class," Willow  
replied not looking too happy. "It's sort of Buffy's penance from  
Principal Snyder."  
  
"Great, she's alone with Buffy. . . does Buffy even know about why  
Akane's here? It effects her too," Ranma started to roll his eyes but  
stopped and looked seriously at Willow.  
  
"We didn't get the chance," Xander offered from across the room.  
  
"But Akane knows about. . . Oh CRAP!" Ranma bolted for the door  
after causing Willow to jump. Before the others could ask what was  
wrong he was gone.  
  
"I guess 'Follow him!' would be in order right now?" Oz asked  
looking at the swinging library doors.  
  
"Yeah, sounds about right," Xander replied as he ran for the door  
followed by Willow and Oz.  
  
Giles sat back and sipped his tea shaking his head slightly knowing  
it was pointless to follow but the Library was quiet again, "Good  
tea."  
  
- - - -   
  
Buffy flipped out of the way of another blindingly fast punch barely  
avoiding getting tagged by the foreign girl, "I still don't see what  
your sitch is but I won't hesitate to knock you down!"  
  
"I yet to see that!" Akane pulled back to give the blonde a  
disappointed look, the area around her was nearly destroyed with fist  
and foot sized holes were everywhere. "So far it's been me doing the  
knocking down."  
  
"Maybe I'm just playing with you?" Buffy asked as she moved to the  
side and prepared to attack again. The first few minutes she had  
problems avoiding the hits came at her from this girl but now she  
found a rhythm to this girl's moves and was ready to started taking  
the fight back to what it should be, Slayer beating the crap out of  
some demon influenced little bitch.  
  
"Oh I know you can fight better, but I'm holding back too," Akane  
smiled one of her sister's nasty smiles at the idea of what she was  
capable of thanks to Miyabi.  
  
The two leapt at each other and fought in away Akane remembered  
seeing Ranma and his father do most mornings, suspended above the  
ground for an impossible amount of time. Buffy wasn't really go at  
this style but Ranma had taught her how to use her opponent's moves  
to keep the fight in the air, obviously Akane was doing the same  
thing. After a couple of seconds Buffy finally got a solid hit and  
Akane flew across the room to impact with a near collapsed wall, it  
fell on top of the girl.  
  
"See, told you I was playing," Buffy said as she tried desperately  
to get her breath back as those moves took almost everything out her.  
  
"One hit and you're acting like you've won the fight," Akane stated  
sounding both annoyed and disappointed. She stood up with rubble  
falling all around her glowing and smiled evilly at the blonde, "I  
expected more from a demon pretending to be the last dead Slayer. . .  
I guess being blonde does lower your intelligence."  
  
"Hey! That dumb blonde stuff is like so fifties!" Buffy reflectively  
put a hand to her hair and looked hurt, then it clicked. "What do you  
mean 'demon pretending to be the Slayer'!?! I am the Slayer! You're  
the demon pretending to be human! Like how many real humans can put  
their fists through cement!?"  
  
"More then I can count on my hands that I know of," Akane replied  
seriously and narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "You can't fool me,  
Demon, I was warned about you. I know that the Slayer 'Buffy Summers'  
died a long time ago and that you're just using her shell to fool the  
council!"  
  
"Who the hell would say something so stupid like that?" Buffy stood  
up straight and gave the other girl a confused and blinking look.  
  
"Miyabi Gozumi," Ranma answered sounding very angry at what he was  
looking at. Willow, Xander, and Oz just barely caught up to him as  
they reached the abandoned construction just outside the school.  
  
"Stay out of this Ranma! She's got you as fooled as much as the  
others!" Akane yelled at her old fiance not taking her eyes off of  
Buffy.  
  
"Miyabi lied to you," Ranma stated calmly as he slowly approached  
Akane. "Just like she lied to me. . . about everything dealing with  
being the Slayer."  
  
"You do not want to be between me and this demon, Ranma! I've got  
the power now," Akane set herself to attack Ranma if he continued  
towards her.  
  
"What power? I can see your stronger, you aura is almost as powerful  
as mine, but it isn't the power of the Slayer," Ranma replied as he  
stopped and shifted his gaze to see all that could not normally could  
be seen. "And it's eating at you. . . at your soul."  
  
"You're lying!! Just because I am finally as strong as you!" Akane  
turned all of her attention to Ranma and looked ready to kill. "And  
I'm not going to shirk my duty and responsibilities like you did over  
some red piece of perverted tail!"  
  
Willow looked slightly offended at the obvious referral to her.  
Ranma's eyes narrowed at the girl he once thought he knew, "Akane. .  
. You think you're as powerful now as I am now? Why don't we find out  
huh? I mean here I am as a guy without the Slayer abilities so you  
shouldn't have any problems right?"  
  
Akane narrowed her eyes at Ranma, keeping the others in the corner  
of her eyes to be sure that they weren't up to something, "Is that a  
challenge? I thought you didn't fight girls?"  
  
"Things change. I've had to adapt," Ranma replied with a small shrug  
as if the whole idea wasn't important even thought what he was about  
to do was killing him inside.  
  
Akane watched Ranma shrug and it drove a wedge into her heart. Ranma  
was willing to change here, for them, but not with her. The whole  
time they were together she wanted him to take her seriously. . .  
it's what started the whole hammer thing, but he just wouldn't fight  
her. Now he was willing. Here, far from home, far from her, he would.  
Akane clutched her head as the flashes of memories of all the hoping  
she did when they were engaged caused an unexpected pain in her  
frontal brain, something wasn't right. Snapping her head up she gave  
Ranma an evil smile, "So you lost your honour huh? Or is it that you  
never had any? You were more than willing to hit Kodachi, or even  
Shampoo, so all that talk about not fighting girls was talk."  
  
"I never hit you. . I never hurt you because I thought I was in love  
with you," Ranma looked directly into Akane's eyes as a sadness crept  
into his eyes.  
  
"LIAR!!!" Akane burst forward in blinding speed and brought a kick  
aimed at Ranma's neck with all her strength. Ranma blocked it but she  
didn't stop there, she threw punch and kick after punch and kick as  
the rage engulfed her, "LIAR! You always hurt me! You just never hit  
me!"  
  
"I never meant to," Ranma replied apologetically as he countered  
each blow but didn't strike back. Akane wasn't getting much through  
his defences but what did hit felt like Ryoga had hit him.  
  
[Idiot!!] Akane screamed slipping back into Japanese needing to  
concentrate on he moves more than all the languages in her head. She  
tried a spin kick that went into a second spin kick on the opposite  
foot then back to a spin kick using her strong foot as each barely  
missed Ranma, [You always called me slow! Weak! Clumsy! UNCUTE!!]  
  
"You were slower than me. You were weaker than me, Shampoo. . . even  
Ukyo. You were clumsy, I would have been too but Pop pushed me past  
that phase in growing up," Ranma said to each point she screamed at  
him as he took a solid hit to his defending arm that bruised the  
bone. "And you're only uncute because of how you acted towards me,  
not because you were ugly. . . [You're beautiful]"  
  
Akane nearly stopped at the last confession but the rage wasn't  
going to let her as something held a hold on her anger, [You aren't  
fighting back coward!]  
  
Ranma dodged a snap fist and leapt back looking saddened even more,  
he had hoped he could have talked her down but it didn't look like it  
was going to work. Stepping back into a fighting distance he  
swallowed his pride as struck up at Akane's stomach hoping to end it  
on one hit, "I'm sorry Akane."  
  
Akane sneered at the pigtailed boy as she easily block and brushed  
away the attack showing she hadn't been showing her full speed,  
"You're sorry? For what? Being a liar? A total loser? Or because  
you're so conceded that you miss the obvious? I'm as good as you are  
now!"  
  
Ranma moved back avoiding a quick kick to his nose, it finally  
clicked in to his brain that Akane was trying to kill him. Not hurt  
him, but kill him. This wasn't Akane. It might be her body, her aura,  
but what was flowing through her wasn't her. Possibly a demon. And  
what do a Slayer and powerful martial artists do to demons? They made  
them go away. Forever.   
  
But he couldn't kill Akane.  
  
Squaring his shoulders he decided that he would have to do what he  
said he would do. With blinding speed he was suddenly in front of  
Akane, so close that air had trouble passing, and this caused Akane's  
eyes to go wide in shock as she jumped back, "Your right, you are  
better than you have ever been, but you never got it. I. AM. THE.  
BEST!"  
  
"KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!!" Ranma screamed out at the loudest his  
voice could make it as he threw all of his energy into the speed of  
his strikes. Akane was able to block a few blows but most of them got  
through and hit her everywhere, even Ranma lost count of the number  
of strikes he made with his full strength behind each blow. Akane  
looked like a puppet on strings as the blows hit her but wouldn't let  
her fall down, knock to one side then to the other, down then up then  
down again. The others couldn't watch the brutality of the attack,  
even Buffy had to look away praying for the poor girl.  
  
Ranma stopped suddenly and moved to catch the falling body of Akane,  
tears threatening in his eyes. Akane was still barely conscious and  
it stunned Ranma to see a smile on her face, [You finally took me  
serious. . . Thank you]  
  
Ranma laid the limp body of Akane on the ground and did the least  
manly thing he'd ever done someone in his life, twice, he cried.  
  
Willow was the first to approach Ranma and hugged onto him as Buffy  
moved in and checked Akane's pulse. Stepping back Buffy looked at the  
two boys who couldn't believe what they saw and gave then a weak  
smile, "She's still alive."  
  
- - - - -  
  
  
Tatewaki Kuno looked at the blonde foreigner who had attacked him  
with indignant arrogance, [I know not were you. . creature came from  
to befoul the Kuno house but know this, you face your destruction at  
the hand of the Blue Thunder!]  
  
The blonde man stood up from the crouch he had landed in, causing  
his leather trench coat to brush around him, and gave Kuno a evil  
smile around his inhuman features, [Don't know why Dru wanted you two  
but I'm up for a little fun.]  
  
"Don't kill him, Spiky, we need him alive to kill right," Drusilla  
said as she looked from the limp form of a Japanese girl wearing a  
black leotard. Blood was on her lips and her clothes looked a little  
tattered from straight cuts here and there.  
  
"Right Luv," Spike smiled again as he and the katana wielding boy  
leapt at each other.  
  
- - - -  
  
AN: Well that took longer than expected. Life was getting in the way  
of art and even though I know where I'm taking this 'book' I was  
having problems starting it off. I still think it's a work in  
progress but too many people have been begging for me to continue  
that here it is. Akane is now in Sunnydale, Oz has been brought into  
the story (for a reason), and there are problems on the wind.   
  
As a reminder I am only paying lip service to the storyline in BTVS  
as I want to allow creative juices flow around new ideas. Some things  
from the season will come up but not much. As to the Mayor's  
ascension in that season. . . think like this book is the first six  
months of that season and the Mayor is in the second six months, I'm  
not dealing with him or Faith yet (I do have plans).  
  
Hope you continue to enjoy.  
  
Felix Webster 


End file.
